CNN reported Wednesday afternoon that the Defense Department is, for the first time, considering making a proposal to send conventional American combat troops into northern Syria to fight ISIS. The network's Barbara Starr said that the Pentagon’s considerations were prompted by President Trump’s demand for the drafting of a plan to defeat ISIS by the end of February. The proposal has not yet been sent to Trump.

As on all issues, Trump has made conflicting statements on how he would like to tackle ISIS in Syria. In March 2016, he said during a debate that he would listen to the recommendations of "the generals" who he said had recommended 20,000 to 30,000 American troops on the ground. In July of the same year, though, he said he'd send "very few" troops into the fight. The U.S. has around 500 troops, tasked largely with assisting the Syrian opposition, in the country as of December.